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Program V3 Prologue Locations
The Cabeza del Dragón, or "Head of the Dragon," is a peninsula that is home to a moderately-sized fishing village. Under direct occupation for a long span of time, the village was recently evacuated as part of the rearrangement of forces and priorities in South and Central America. Much of the machinery of the area's industry remains, and thus it was chosen as a compelling arena in which to hold the latest version of The Program. Upper Wharf The upper wharf comprises a network of docks suited to both to receiving the fishing ships and passenger vessels common to Cabeza del Dragón and to less industrial-scale activity; the southern pier, older and somewhat out of repair, was a popular place for land-based fishermen to cast their lines. This area is made up primarily of wooden planks, stained with years of exposure to saltwater and sea air, and footing can be somewhat treacherous on the irregular, warped boards. While there is some thought given to safety, with guardrails posted in most areas not directly keyed towards the unloading of cargo, these nevertheless feature large gaps and in some places have fallen into disrepair. Cover here is scarce; a number of barrels, crates, and collections of containers and lumber may be found around the docks, but these tend to be positioned so as not to impede the flow of work, usually to the sides of avenues of passage. First Phase Threads: *A Lo Hecho, Pecho (Santiago Ibarra, Harland Strange) Lower Wharf The lower wharf lies beneath the upper, a shadowy maze of rocky beach and pier supports covered in algae and barnacles. Dead fish and crabs wash ashore in abundance, and there are areas where fishermen often dispose of their catch's unwanted heads, guts, and so forth. This leads to the area bearing an almost overpowering odor of nautical decay. The water here is generally shallow, and it's possible to traverse this area even at high tide, but footing is extremely treacherous and there are a number of difficult to spot pitfalls where the ground suddenly drops away into deep water. The dim light and ample cover may make it worth the risk to venture here, though. First Phase Threads: *Things Will Shortly Get Completely Out of Hand (Leo Menendez, Howard Fong NPC, Henry Axford) Cannery A large brick building with small, high windows, the cannery's inside is mostly one huge room, filled with rows upon rows of now-dormant conveyor belts where once fish were packed. Like much of the seaside space, the inside of this building absolutely reeks of fish, and the floor is coated with unidentifiable stains. While the machinery cannot be coaxed into operation, a small locker-room off to the side still contains a great number of aprons and heavy-duty gloves in varying sizes, all worn and soiled from years of use. Aside from the main entrance, there is a small door to the outside in the room with the aprons which can be secured and a large emergency exit opposite the main entrance which cannot be easily barred. There is a small restroom adjacent to the locker-room, with a single toilet and a sink. Large hoses used to wash down the floor each night after closing are still operable. First Phase Threads: *Cannery Blues (Mary Wieczorek, James Bagstad) Wet Market The wet market is located a short walk from the wharf, and as with most of the surrounding area the smell of rotting fish permeates its wooden walls. Rows of stalls which used to display the fishmongers' wares line the interior, although they are now bare. The stalls themselves provide good cover, although at night visibility within the building drops considerably as there are no light sources aside from large windows. The floor here is perpetually slick with water as a result of an ancient ice machine finally breaking down for good. There are also many hooks protruding from the various walls and many crab and lobster pots hanging from the ceiling. Buckets and wooden carts are dotted around the area, no longer being needed to carry ice, water, or fish for the residents. Collections of buoys, ropes, lines, boots and hats can be found hanging on back walls or discarded behind stalls, left abandoned by the townspeople. First Phase Threads: *No More A Thief (Mina Mashall) First Missionary Church The First Missionary Church, located at the center of town, is the oldest and largest building in Cabeza del Dragón, originally constructed by Spanish missionaries who first settled the area. The church has since gone through numerous renovations, although much of its original architecture has been preserved. The main doors open directly into a high-ceilinged interior area, primarily filled with two columns of pews. There are six stained glass windows flanking the pews three to a side, with a seventh larger window depicting the crucifixion of Christ located behind a fancifully-carved pulpit and above an ancient organ that despite the outward appearance of its old pipes is still capable of producing some bars. Through a door situated behind the main pulpit and alongside the organ is the priests' quarters, which is made up of a small combined kitchen and living area, study, and bedroom. There are many books lining the shelves of a bookcase, but there are gaps and disturbed dust where some texts have been removed. First Phase Threads: *City Upon A Hill (Stan Astley, Clay Bronson) The Dump The dump is a large pit that has been dug in the soft earth on an unused piece of land on the outskirts of town. The dump was used to dispose of the wastage from the towns primary industry and as such is a reeking pile of rotten fish meat and bones along with anything else that people didn't want or need. When the wind blows the right way, the smell from the dump can cover the entire town. There are even rumors that some people who disappeared over the town's life were murdered and their bodies thrown into the dump, though if this is true, no evidence of it can be found. Seagulls circle the dump perpetually, and rats are abundant and bold. First Phase Threads: *Someone tell me how I got here from the city to this frontier (Mick Sexsmith, Laurie Moran, Scotty Ward NPC) The Graveyard The graveyard sits on a hill behind the church, overlooking the whole town. Many generations of continuous family lines can be found within the fence that encircles the land designated for this use. Most of the oldest gravestones have started to be reclaimed by the wild growth of the surrounding foliage, although a large ornate stone crypt featuring intricate carvings of various fish has been treated with the utmost care by the former groundskeeper. Behind the crypt is an area of land unused except for the presence of a large white gazebo. This area offers a view out over the surrounding environment and is relatively free of hazards. First Phase Threads: *Really Should Have Thought This Through... (Content Warning) (Marion Williams, Kassandra Vaitaki, Brittany Chesterton, Maya Spooner NPC) Boat Shed The boat shed, despite its name, is simply a large warehouse that was sometimes used for storing of boats undergoing repairs or refurbishment. A big concrete cube located on a small industrial lot, the the boat shed has large metal sliding doors that have been left slightly ajar. There is also a barbed wire fence erected around the whole structure, although this is mostly for show; a closer inspection reveals that there are multiple large holes present in the fence, allowing free (if mildly treacherous) access. Inside the boat shed are two small trawlers that were clearly being worked on. One has a collection of small rotten holes along one side while the other was in the process of being repainted, so many soiled towels have been set down on its deck and around its hull to keep the paint contained. The walls are decorated with a set of four painted sails depicting fantastical nautical scenes: a boat meeting a mermaid, a pirate ship making landfall, a boat being attacked by a kraken, and a man drowning while a large eye watches from the depths. First Phase Threads: *The Gigantic (Clover Dubose NPC, Faye Xandora) Seawater Pool The seawater swimming pool was built later in the town's life as a seafront amenity for those not engaged in the fishing trade. A large stone construction that captures the seawater as the tide recedes, the pool was initially popular with the locals, although they soon became bored of its cold waters and it rarely saw use except on the hottest days. Eventually the town gave up on maintaining it, and it has become choked with seaweed while thick patches of algae along the stone walkways makes traversing it treacherous if done without care. Despite all of this, the view of the Dragon's Tooth from the end of the pool wall is still one of the most magnificent in town. First Phase Threads: *Rhizome 9 (Scott Osbourne NPC) Bodies: :Scott Osbourne (In a watery grave beneath the walkway) Salvage Yard The salvage yard is located in the industrial park next to the boat shed and is filled with the detritus of maritime life. While a handful of small ruined rowboats are kept here, it is also home to partially-submerged shipping containers, old refrigerators and bed frames, and even a number of totaled cars and trucks, forming a treacherous mountain of junk. Kept around partially for lack of a better place to dispose of such objects and partially as an opportunity to scavenge materials for slapdash repairs, the salvage yard is more accessible than its phenomenally dangerous architecture might lead one to expect. Thanks in part to its varied topography and in part its distance from the rest of town, the salvage yard was a popular spot for children and teens alike. The children using it to play games such as hide and seek while the teens used it as a party spot. This has led to some accidents over the years and at least one death when a drunk teen fell into the ocean, but the only result of this incident was the addition of a chain link fence; the gate to this was quickly sabotaged and has remained unlocked since. First Phase Threads: *CQD Ward (JB Blackwell NPC, Nellie Fitzpatrick) El Diente A jagged, rocky outcrop is located a hundred yards from shore, dubbed "El Diente" (or "The Dragon's Tooth"), by locals. Historically a popular landmark to test one's swimming prowess by reaching, the rock is large enough for two or three adults to fit comfortably at any given time without getting in each other's space or being too near the edge. The growths of algae along the sides of the rock and the waves which wash over its lower parts at high tide, however, make footing treacherous, and the sharp stone that makes up the steeper protuberances discourages all but the most daring from climbing to the very top. El Diente is also a frequent resting place for ocean birds, and evidence of their habitation may be found in feathers, nests, and prodigious amounts of guano. First Phase Threads: *A Nation Louder (Matthew Davis NPC) *Mind The Music And The Step (Bridie Mossberg, Zeke Brant) Bodies: :Matthew Davis (In a watery grave) Trucking Road The trucking road, located at the outskirts of the fishing village, functions as the main entrance and exit to Cabeza del Dragón. The primary purpose for the trucking road, which is made of somewhat crumbly asphalt, was to facilitate the export of goods. Fish and other nautical resources made their way along this path, ending up in distant distribution centers for sorting and dispatch to other parts of America. As the road leads out of the main area of Cabeza del Dragón, the fishing village gives way to coastal grassland, and on the border between the fishing village and the grassland one can see several peddler stands dotting one side of the road. Although these stands are empty, they are now freely open, and still sport signs advertising their wares: seafood, horchata, and fresh fruits. First Phase Threads: *América rompió mi corazón (Rodney Vasicek, Bishop Smith) Casa del Diablo The Casa del Diablo is a one-story brick pub located a short walk away from the dwellings. It once functioned as the social center of its area, a place for fishermen to drink, unwind and relax when the day was done. Other than the art on the walls depicting aspects of Mexican folklore and the lanterns and flags hanging from the ceiling, the pub looks like a fairly normal establishment. There's a bar with a shelf of empty bottles behind it, chairs and tables sprinkled throughout the room, and a number of rubbish bins. In addition to this, an acoustic grand piano is located in one of the corners of the room, which, although slightly off-tune, still produces music when played. Behind the bar itself is a door leading to the storeroom, which is full of of empty crates and barrels with more bottles strewn around on the floor, and features a back exit into an alleyway. First Phase Threads: *From Dusk Till Dawn (Charlotte Pemberton, Floyd Malinowski) Barricade Roughly four hundred yards from the edges of the fishing village, all modes of egress are blocked off by a large man-made barricade—a twelve-foot-high barbed wire fence erected around the village in a sort of rough semicircle, with nearby foliage cleared to allow for unobstructed visibility and floodlights trained on the outside of the barrier at night. In addition to this, a gate made of solid, reinforced steel interrupts the trucking road. This gate functioned as the primary entrance and exit to the Cabeza del Dragón back during the American occupation of the area. Although the area around the barricade is safe to traverse, any attempts to scale or destroy the barricade will be met with swift punishment. First Phase Threads: *Where The Flower Goes To Die (Rozenne Evans, Ambrose Lexington) Seaside Barricade Although the barricade terminates where land turns to sea, the natural geography of the area allows for the ocean side of the arena to be blocked off as well. At the coastal edge of the fishing village lies a stretch of empty beach around two hundred yards in length. At the far edge of this beach stands a twelve-foot-high barbed wire fence leading to the water's edge, with a steep cliff-face a half dozen yards behind reaching a height roughly twice that of the fence. Attempting to go around this fence via the sea is not an option, as the waters beyond the perimeter—forming a rough semicircle around the ocean part of the arena— is patrolled by speedboats manned by armed soldiers, ready to shoot anyone who comes close to crossing their line. First Phase Threads: *Shit's Fucked (Frankie Matsui, Charity Gardner) Customs Office The customs office is a building located near the inland edge of the fishing village, built after American occupation for the purpose of facilitating the transportation and cataloging of resources and people passing in and out the village. On the outside, the customs office is a small, one story building disconnected from all other buildings in the village, boasting a single entrance and several tall windows. On the inside is a sort of waiting room. This room features several chairs sprinkled across the floor facing a teller stand, with several counters and low coffee tables in between. To access the teller stand, workers at the customs office used a door on one end of the waiting room, leading to the stand itself and to an employee room, consisting of several desks still stuffed with paperwork. Regardless of what room one is in, though, propaganda lines the walls; a number of posters celebrate the American way of life and the occupation of Mexico. First Phase Threads: *Whitman's Mission (Juan Garza NPC, Scott Whitman) *Rio Bravo (Jason Rosser, Ingrid White) Bodies: :Juan Garza (Inside the office, stab wounds to neck and gunshot wound through head) Western Dwellings The dwellings found on the western side of the settlement were occupied by the poorer denizens of the town. These buildings tend to be low, small, densely-packed, and in questionable states of repair. Those that are more than one story tend to be divided into apartments, and were probably largely tenanted by sailors and dockworkers. The architecture is largely bare stucco and wood, and roofs are mostly flat. Gardens, when present, are small and poorly-maintained. Many of the buildings were clearly shared by many inhabitants, evidenced by extremely efficient layouts and numerous beds. The light here is poor, and there are a number of alleys and tight spaces suitable to concealment... or ambush. Northern Dwellings The housing to the northern side of the area is solidly middle-class for the region, which isn't saying too much but is a marked step up from the Western Dwellings. Buildings here are spread out a little more, with small gardens either open to passers-by or enclosed by fences or low walls. These dwellings were often family homes, and are evenly split between one and two storeys. Much of the decoration here retains a nautical flavor, with shells and sea motifs prevalent. These houses are also mostly stucco and wood, but they are generally painted in pastel colors. The area here is much more open than to the west, though that brings with it its own opportunities for mischief; there are a number of bushes, as well as occasional sheds or small outbuildings where students could take shelter or avoid prying eyes. First Phase Threads: *Star-Splattered Banner (Danielle Baumgartner, Jacqueline Hastert NPC) *Tip On The Tightrope (Yvonne Barnett, Nanna-Fiora Kroos) Eastern Dwellings The buildings found on the eastern fringe of the town are by and large the fanciest and most expansive; naturally, these are the homes which housed most American officials and their families. This part of the area is comparatively shielded from the wind and elements, and the buildings are more architecturally adventurous, featuring a range of materials (including brick and stone siding) and more varied sizes. While there is the occasional one-story home to be found, most run two or even three floors. There's ample space between buildings, with paved walkways and large, well-maintained gardens. It's possible to hide in many of the houses themselves, and garages, basements, and out-buildings are prevalent. These buildings tend to be well-lit, with wide windows, and are largely clean and impeccably maintained—usually through the efforts of hired help rather than the former inhabitants. First Phase Threads: *Oops (Carolyn Senn NPC) *Reflection (Kassandra Vaitaki) *In My Sights (Drew Ladd NPC) Bodies: :Carolyn Senn (Near the front door of a house, fall injuries) Southern District The buildings making up the southern sector of the settlement are more varied than in other regions; they're split fairly evenly between habitations and commercial enterprises. A number of small stores, restaurants, and other businesses may be found here. Many of these occupy the lower floors of buildings, with housing for the operators and their families above. This section of town is generally efficient and well-organized, with decorations intended to lure customers inside and with little room for gardens. The lighting here is good, and the area is generally quite clean. First Phase Threads: *Tristana (Ambrose Lexington)